Appearance and Character

Eddard has a long face[9] and long brown hair.[10] He is thirty-five, but his closely-trimmed beard is beginning to grey, making him look older than his years.[10] His dark grey eyes[10] reflect his moods, turning soft as fog or hard as stone.[11] Eddard is shorter and less handsome than his older brother Brandon had been, according to Catelyn Stark; however, she also states that Ned has a "good sweet heart beneath his solemn face".[12] He keeps faith with the old gods.[1] He is fiercely protective of his wife and children, whom he loves deeply.

Eddard is known for his unwavering sense of honor[13][14] and justice and his family finds him kind, although some consider his reserved personality a sign of coldness and disdain.[15] Among his enemies, Eddard has the reputation of having cold eyes thought to reflect his frozen heart.[16]

While riding his great warhorse in the north, Ned wears furs and leathers.[10] Ned also wears silk[17] and linen[18] tunics and a belt of heavy silver links.[18] His surcoat is fine white velvet with a direwolf badge over the heart.[11] Ned's cloaks are grey with white,[19] as well as black wool.[20]

History

Youth

Eddard was fostered by Lord Jon Arryn at the Eyrie from the age of eight.[1][9] There, Eddard befriended his fellow ward, Robert Baratheon, while Lord Jon became like a second father to him.[1] When he reached the age of sixteen, Eddard was a man grown, and divided his time between Winterfell and the Eyrie.[25] During one of his visits to Winterfell, Eddard carried a wedding proposal from Robert to his father, Lord Rickard, who agreed to betroth his daughter Lyanna to Eddard's friend.[5][21] When Lyanna later expressed that her belief that Robert would never keep to one bed, having heard about Mya Stone, Robert's bastard daughter in the Vale of Arryn, Eddard recalled having seen the child, and was unable to deny her existence.[21] Lord Rodrik Ryswell hoped to wed his daughter Barbrey to Brandon or Eddard.[26]

Tourney at Harrenhal

In 281 AC, at the age of eighteen, Eddard came down from the Eyrie to attend the tourney at Harrenhal.[14] Also present were Eddard's foster brother Robert, his foster father Jon, and his three siblings, Brandon, Lyanna, and Benjen.[3] It was during this tourney that Eddard met Howland Reed, one of his father's bannermen. Howland and Eddard remained friends for the rest of their lives. During the opening feast, Eddard saw Ashara Dayne, a lady-in-waiting to Princess Elia Martell. He danced with her later that night, but only after his older brother Brandon had spoken to her on his behalf, since he himself was too shy.[3] Eddard was present during the final jousts, where Prince Rhaegar Targaryen passed over his own wife, Elia, to crown Lyanna the queen of love and beauty. Eddard would remember this moment as "the moment when all smiles died" years later.[14]

The following year, Eddard's sister Lyanna was abducted by Prince Rhaegar.[27] Brandon rode to King's Landing in anger, but he was arrested when he threatened the crown prince. Lord Rickard Stark was summoned to King's Landing, and when he demanded a trial by combat, both he and Brandon were executed at the command of King Aerys II Targaryen.[28] Aerys's next step was to demand that Jon Arryn send him the heads of his former wards, Eddard and Robert. Jon refused and instead called his banners.[1]

Eddard called his banners, and marched south to join Robert and Jon, arriving in time to turn the tide at the Battle of the Bells.[31] Afterward, he went to Riverrun to marry Catelyn Tully, who had been betrothed to his brother Brandon before his death.[9] Jon Arryn married Catelyn's sister, Lysa, in the same ceremony. The double wedding bound House Tully to the rebels' cause.[1]

When Eddard arrived at the capital, Lord Tywin Lannister's force had already sacked the city. Eddard had developed contempt for House Lannister during the rebellion, as Tywin had remained neutral in an apparent attempt to join the winning side in the end. Eddard's contempt increased when he learned that Tywin had conquered the city by treachery and that his men had brutally killed Rhaegar's wife, Elia Martell, and children, Rhaenys and Aegon. In addition, Lannister flags were flying over the Red Keep when Eddard arrived and, as he rode into the throne room to claim the crown for Robert, he found King Aerys's body at the steps leading to the Iron Throne, on which the king's killer, Ser Jaime Lannister, was sitting.[13]

Eddard felt the Sack of King's Landing dishonored Robert's cause. He was disappointed that Robert, upon arriving in the city, did not share his moral outrage and in particular defended the murder of Rhaegar's children. He also ignored Eddard's counsel that Jaime should be made to join the Night's Watch for breaking his oath as a knight of the Kingsguard by not protect the king. Their disagreements created a rift between Eddard and Robert that not even Jon Arryn was able to breach.[1][13][32]

Unfortunately, when Eddard found Lyanna, she was already dying.[36] Before her death, she made Eddard promise her something;[36] what he promised her has not yet been revealed. The experience haunts Eddard and he recalls her "promise me" on multiple occasions.[13][18][14] However, the shared grief over Lyanna led to his reconciliation with his friend, now King Robert I.[13]

When Eddard returned home to Winterfell, he brought with him his bastard son, Jon Snow. This strained the relationship with his wife Catelyn, who had given birth to their son Robb at Riverrun during the war. Eddard refused to speak to her about Jon's mother. However, stories concerning her identity circulated nonetheless. When Catelyn heard rumors that the boy's mother was the Dornish noblewoman Ashara Dayne, she confronted Eddard about it, but he told her in a brusque manner that the child was his blood and that was all she needed to know. He subsequently silenced the rumors about Ashara.[9]Sansa Stark recalls hearing whispers that Jon's mother was common born.[37] Lord Edric Dayne believes that, rather than his aunt Ashara, Jon Snow's mother was a woman called Wylla, who worked for House Dayne and at one point served as Edric's wet-nurse.[38] When asked about the mother of his bastard son by King Robert I Baratheon, Eddard also mentions the name Wylla.[13] However, Lord Godric Borrell claims that the daughter of the fisherman who sneaked Eddard away from the Fingers gave birth to Jon Snow.[30]

Eddard buried the bones of his deceased kin in the crypt of Winterfell. Breaking the tradition of only Stark kings and lords having statues, Ned had them carved for Brandon and Lyanna next to that of Lord Rickard.[27]Barbrey Dustin, now Lady of Barrowton, resented that Eddard returned the horse but not the bones of her husband, Lord Willam, who had died fighting alongside Ned in Dorne.[26] Ned's younger brother, Benjen, joined the Night's Watch.[39]

Lord of Winterfell

As a second son, Eddard had never expected to become the Lord of Winterfell, and as such did not always feel equal to the task, determined it had all been meant for his elder brother Brandon.[9] Lord Stark has taken little interest in affairs south of the Neck.[13]

In 289 AC, Eddard travelled south to help Robert suppress Greyjoy's Rebellion. After the decisive siege of Pyke and Lord Balon Greyjoy's surrender, Eddard took Balon's only surviving son, Theon, to Winterfell as a ward and hostage.[36] While Eddard tried to be like a father to Theon from time to time,[40] the boy still found Lord Stark to be cold.[40]

Recent Events

A Game of Thrones

Lord Eddard executes Gared, a deserter of the Night's Watch who claims to have been attacked by Others. On the return to Winterfell, the party discovers a direwolf dead on the roadside, her throat pierced by a stag she had slain. Swayed by his bastard son, Jon Snow, Eddard decides not to slay her newborn pups, and instead allow his children to raise them.[10]

That same day, a raven arrives bearing word of the death of Lord Jon Arryn, who fostered Eddard as well as Robert Baratheon, and who had long served Robert as Hand of the King.[1] Soon Robert arrives with half the court, and Eddard grudgingly accepts his offer to replace Lord Arryn as Hand, as well as a betrothal of Prince Joffrey to his daughter Sansa.[36][9] Another message arrives, this one from Lysa Arryn, Jon's widow and the sister of Eddard's wife Catelyn, sent to Winterfell in secret. Lysa warns the Starks that the Lannisters were involved in her husband's death.[9] When Eddard's son Bran falls and slips into a coma, Eddard and the royal court remain at Winterfell for almost another fortnight,[47] though they eventually decide to leave.

During the journey south, Eddard and Robert are at odds whether or not to be concerned about the wedding of the exiled Princess Daenerys Targaryen to Khal Drogo of the Dothraki.[13] Eddard's youngest daughter Arya is involved in an incident in which crown prince Joffrey Baratheon is injured by Arya's direwolf, Nymeria.[37] When Nymeria cannot be found, Queen Cersei Lannister demands the death of Sansa's direwolf, Lady, and Eddard executes the wolf himself at Darry. In order to prevent Queen Cersei from acquiring the pelt, he has her body sent north to be buried at Winterfell.[48]

Upon arriving at King's Landing, Eddard is summoned to a small council meeting. Afterwards, Lord Petyr Baelish takes Eddard to one of his brothels, where he has been hiding Eddard's wife, Catelyn. She reveals how a catspaw tried to kill their son Bran with a Valyrian steel dagger. Petyr, known as Littlefinger, claims that the dagger used to be his, but was won in a bet by Tyrion Lannister. Littlefinger promises to aid Eddard.[22] After receiving Maester Luwin's message that Bran is awake, Lord Stark and his daughters stay overnight in the godswood of the Red Keep.[17]

Eddard is shocked to learn that the crown is heavily indebted due to Robert's extravagance, and Jon Arryn and the small council had been unable to restrain him. Robert decrees a great tournament is to be held in honor of Eddard's appointment as Hand of the King, despite Eddard's protests of the cost.[22] The Hand's tourney, featuring a joust, melee, and archery contest, attracts knights and freeriders from all over the Seven Kingdoms.[22][49][19] Ned and Ser Barristan Selmy, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, convince Robert not to participate in the melee.[50]

Eddard discovers that his daughter Arya is in the possession of a sword, Needle, but decides to have her trained in how to use it, instead of taking her sword away. He hires Syrio Forel, a former First Sword of Braavos.[49] While Ned later wonders whether Syrio is a proper teacher for Arya, he allows the lessons to continue,[51] and is eventually willing to ask Syrio to continue his work at Winterfell.[52]

When news reaches King's Landing that Daenerys is pregnant, Robert holds a council meeting demanding she be put to death. Eddard and Barristan are the only ones to speak out against the move, but Robert, driven by his hatred of the Targaryens, insists on the assassination. Eddard, unwilling to cooperate, resigns his post in protest.[15]

Before his planned departure from King's Landing to return to Winterfell, Eddard visits another of Robert's bastard children, a girl named Barra, found by Lord Baelish. Returning from this meeting he is ambushed by Ser Jaime Lannister, who wants revenge for the seizure of his brother Tyrion by Catelyn at the crossroads inn,[21] a fact Eddard had learned the day before from Yoren, a wandering crow.[53][15] Eight men[34] die from the ensuing melee, including Jory Cassel, Heward, Wyl, and Tregar, and Ned's leg is broken when his horse falls upon him.[21] Pycelle treats Ned, who has a fever dream of the tower of joy. While recovering, Robert visits his friend, pardoning him and returning him to office as Hand of the King.[34]

While investigating Jon Arryn's interest in Robert's bastard children, Eddard discovers to his horror that Robert's three legitimate children are the product of incest between Queen Cersei and her brother, Jaime.[52] Eddard decides to confront Cersei, giving her a chance to flee with her children while she still can.[54] However, Cersei has orchestrated Robert's assassination. As Robert lays on his deathbed, Eddard rebuffs both the suggestion of Robert's youngest brother, Lord Renly Baratheon, that they seize control of the royal children, and Petyr Baelish's urgings to rule as regent while Cersei and Jaime's thirteen-year-old son, Prince Joffrey, accedes to the Iron Throne, instead planning to deliver it to the elder of Robert's younger brothers, Lord Stannis.[18] Littlefinger promises Eddard the support of the City Watch of King's Landing. Vayon Poole arranges for Sansa and Arya to return north on the Wind Witch,[54] and Ned orders Tomard to deliver a letter to Stannis at Dragonstone.[18]

Not wanting to have her betrothal to Joffrey broken, Sansa informs Queen Cersei of her father's plan to leave King's Landing.[55] When Ned confronts Cersei in the throne room, he is betrayed by Littlefinger. Red cloaks and Janos Slynt's gold cloaks kill Eddard's remaining men, and Littlefinger takes the Valyrian dagger from Lord Stark.[56] Syrio allows Arya to escape Ser Meryn Trant,[57] but Sansa is captured by the Lannisters.[58]

In response to his father's imprisonment for treason by Cersei, Robb Stark calls the northern banners to Winterfell and marches south.[59] For his part in Ned's downfall, Janos Slynt is named Lord of Harrenhal by King Joffrey.[60]

Varys visits Eddard Stark in the dungeons, informing him that if he confesses to treason his life will be spared and he will be given the opportunity to join the Night's Watch. Eddard initially refuses but agrees to swallow his honor to save the life of his daughter Sansa, who is in Lannister custody.[14] He is taken to the steps of the Great Sept of Baelor where, unbeknownst to him, Yoren, his daughter Arya, and the disguised Barristan are amongst the crowd.[7][61] Eddard makes a false public confession but the plan goes awry when King Joffrey declares that Eddard must be executed, to the evident shock of Cersei, Varys, and the High Septon. Ser Ilyn Payne beheads Eddard with his own greatsword, Ice.[7] Joffrey has Eddard's head placed on a spike and forces Sansa to view it.[62]

Eddard's execution at the Great Sept of Baelor has caused a serious deterioration in relations between the crown and the Faith of the Seven, as the High Septon claims that Stark's beheading there profaned the Sept with blood.[65]

Theon Greyjoy leads Lady Barbrey Dustin into the crypts of Winterfell, where they see Eddard's statue. Barbrey blames Eddard for the death of her husband, Lord Willam Dustin. She tells Theon that if she ever discovers the location of Eddard's bones, she will never allow them to be buried in the crypts along with his ancestors, in revenge for Eddard's failure to return her husband's bones to her.[26] Many other northern houses remember Eddard fondly, however, and are willing to march to war against House Bolton to rescue the Bolton-controlled "Arya Stark" (actually Jeyne Poole, the daughter of "The Ned".[71][2]

Quotes by Eddard

The blood of the First Men still flows in the veins of the Starks, and we hold to the belief that the man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. If you would take a man’s life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. And if you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to die.[10]

"If it came to that, the life of some child I did not know, against Robb and Sansa and Arya and Bran and Rickon, what would I do? Even more so, what would Catelyn do, if it were Jon’s life, against the children of her body?" He did not know. He prayed he never would.[54]

”

– Eddard's thoughts

“

Cersei: You should have taken the realm for yourself. It was there for the taking. Jaime told me how you found him on the Iron Throne the day King's Landing fell, and made him yield it up. That was your moment. All you needed to do was climb those steps, and sit. Such a sad mistake.

Eddard: I have made more mistakes than you can possibly imagine, but that was not one of them.[54]

A long time ago, she remembered her father saying that when the cold wind blows the lone wolf dies but the pack survives. He had it all backwards. Arya, the lone wolf, still lived, but the wolves of the pack had been taken and slain and skinned.[74]